The
British and German Dispositions in the Dover
Straits, April 20-21, 1917

BATTLE
IN OUTLINE

night
of 20/21April 1917

Destroyer
Raid on Dover Straits

Yet another raid by German Zeebrugge-based destroyers
but this time only on the Dover barrage - 5th Half
Flotilla (HF) to attack the English side, bombarding
Dover if possible, "Z" or Zeebrugge HF the French side
with Calais as their possible additional target. On
the British side four destroyers led by Nugent
patrolled between No.7A Buoy and Calais, while
flotilla leaders Broke and Swift kept between the
South Goodwins LV and No.5A Buoy. Other Dover Patrol
ships were stationed near the Downs and in Dover as
usual. First contact was at 2310 when the ZHF shelled
Calais, after which no more was heard of them. Next
was just before 2330 SE of Dover when patrol trawler
Sabreur sighted 5th HF:

Sabreur, Admiralty trawler, 188/1916,
Grimsby-reg, hired 9/16, Skipper Robert Scott. Engaged
by the enemy destroyers, shell burst in front of
wheelhouse, other hits included one in the engine
room, lights extinguished and action avoided as
Sabreur was only armed with 1-6pdr; trimmer wounded
from engine-room hit (Rn/D/ap)

5th HF then opened a wild fire on Dover and the Kent
countryside at 2330 before heading back for the
barrage. Just short of it and with time in hand they
turned for the southern entrance of the Downs to
attack any shipping, but in doing so headed straight
for Swift (senior officer) and Broke, which at 0045
were 3 miles E of the S Goodwins LV. Both leaders
spotted ships on the port bow, came under fire and
made out the funnel flare of five or six destroyers on
the opposite course:

Swift, flotilla leader, 2,390t, 4-4in/2-18in
tt (Cn/dd - 1-6in on forecastle in place of 2-4in in
1916; D - in 1918), Cdr Ambrose Peck. Turned to ram
but missed, passed through the German line and hit
several times, hit back in return and fired a torpedo
which hit G.85. Swift left with wireless out
of action and 4ft of water in the stoker's messdeck,
but turned and followed the Germans east, had to give
up and made her way home; 1 crew killed, 4 wounded
(Rn/Cn/D/dd)

Broke, flotilla leader, Faulknor-class,
2,000t, 6-4in/1-1˝pdr/2mg/4-21in tt, Cdr Edward Evans.
Also turned to ram and fired a torpedo which seemed to
hit the intended victim (alternatively this was
Swift's hit on G.85), steadied, then put helm
hard over to hit a destroyer further down the line -
G.42 rammed amidships at 27kts. Locked together,
Broke's sailors had to repel German boarders in
hand-to-hand fighting and while Broke poured fire into
G.42 from point blank range, the last two German
destroyers poured fire into her as they steered past.
Getting clear, she limped eastwards after Swift, but
with boiler-rooms badly damaged, steam dropping, half
of bridge on fire and decks swept with shellfire.
Decided to turn back for the torpedoed G.85,
stopped and in flames, and the rammed G.42, which both
opened fire. Broke replied and silenced them, but then
her engines gave up and she drifted towards the
burning G.85. Destroyers Mentor, Lydiard,
Lucifer had by now left Dover, reached Broke about
0115 and pulled her clear, taken in tow for Dover; 40
crew killed and wounded (dd - 21 killed, 36 wounded)
(Rn/Cn/D/dd)

The action took place around 51.09N, 01.37E where the
two German ships went down, Swift and Broke were in
dockyard hands for several weeks and there were no
more destroyer raids on the Dover Straits for ten
months. Cdr Evans was feted in the British press as
"Evans of the Broke".

ROYAL NAVY CASUALTIES - Killed

With
thanks to Don Kindell

Saturday,
21April1917

GERMAN
DESTROYER RAID ON DOVER STRAIT

night
of 20th/21st

Broke, flotilla leader, damaged

BAGNALL,
Joe W, Able Seaman, J 17789 (Po)

BAILEY,
Frederick R, Stoker 1c (RFR B 5324), SS 105171 (Po)

BANNISTER,
Thomas B, Leading Stoker, K 13243 (Po)

BELLAMY,
Epton, Stoker 2c, K 27872 (Po)

BRIAN,
Daniel, Leading Stoker, K 6849 (Po)

CARDER,
Frederick, Stoker 1c, K 34863 (Po)

DART,
Charles E, Leading Stoker, K 14332 (Dev)

FIELD,
Samuel, Stoker 1c (RFR B 3546), SS 101225 (Po)

FOXHALL,
William, Stoker 2c, K 34879 (Po)

HOSIER,
Harry, Ordinary Seaman, J 55065 (Po)

IVENS,
Geofory G, Leading Seaman, 236507 (Po)

LOCKETT,
Walter H, Signalman, RNVR, Mersey Z 1323

NORFORD,
Robert H, Stoker 2c, K 38021 (Ch)

ORCHARD,
Henry G, Stoker Petty Officer, 299634 (Po)

RAFFERTY,
James J, Stoker 1c, K 10591 (Po)

SAMWAYS,
Christopher F, Able Seaman, J 24972 (Po)

THOMPSON,
George W, Stoker 1c, SS 112635 (Po)

THORPE,
William, Stoker 1c, K 34885 (Po)

TOWERS,
Robert V, Ordinary Seaman, J 35442 (Po)

TUBB,
George, Able Seaman, J 17147 (Po)

WEBB,
Alfred, Stoker 1c (RFR B 9363), SS 106631 (Ch)

Swift,
destroyer,
damaged

DONNELLY,
Robert, Stoker, RNR, S 9022

ROYAL NAVY HONOURS and GALLANTRY AWARDS

With thanks to the London Gazette

30061 -
8 MAY 1917

DOVER
STRAITS ACTION

NAVAL
DESPATCH dated 10 May 1917

Dover Straits
(with later defences, click to enlarge)

Admiralty,
S.W. 10th May, 1917.

Honours for Service in the Action
Between H.M. Ships "Swift" and "Broke" and
German Destroyers on the night of the 20th to 21st
April, 1917.

The KING (is) pleased to give orders
for the appointment of the undermentioned Officers to be
Companions of the Distinguished Service Order,
in recognition of their services in command of H.M.S.
"Swift" and H.M.S. "Broke" respectively, on the night of
the 20th to 21st April, 1917, when they successfully
engaged a flotilla of five or six German destroyers, of
which two were sunk:

Cdr. (now Capt.) Ambrose Maynard
Peck, R.N.

Cdr. (now Capt.) Edward Ratcliffe
Garth Russell Evans, C.B., R.N.

________

The KING has further been graciously
pleased to give orders for the award of the Distinguished
Service Cross to the undermentioned Officers for
their services during this action:

Lieut. Geoffrey Victor Hickman,
R.N. Navigator and second in command of H.M.S.
"Broke." He assisted with great coolness in handling
the ship in action. His proper appreciation of the
situation when one enemy destroyer was torpedoed,
which his commanding officer had made ready to ram,
enabled course to be altered in time to ram the next
astern.

Lieut. Robert Douglas King-Harman,
R.N. Navigating Officer of H.M.S. "Swift." He was of
the utmost assistance to his commanding officer
throughout.

Lieut. Maximilian Garden Despard,
R.N. First and Gunnery Lieut of H.M.S. "Broke." He
controlled gun fire and gave the orders which resulted
in an enemy destroyer being torpedoed.

Lieut. Henry Antony Simpson, R.N.
Executive Officer and Gunnery Lieut, of H.M.S.
"Swift." He displayed great coolness and method in the
control of fire which he had very ably organised and
zealously drilled, and greatly assisted his commanding
officer throughout the action.

Surg. Prob. Christopher Thomas
Helsham, R.N.V.R. ("Broke").

Surg. Prob. John Sinclair
Westwater, R.N.V.R. ("Swift").

Worked with great energy and
ability in attending to the wounded.

Gnr. (T.) Henry Turner, R.N.
("Swift.") Obtained a hit with a torpedo on one of the
enemy destroyers.

Gnr. (T.) Frederick Grinney, R.N.
("Broke.") Gave orders for the firing of the torpedo
which struck one of the enemy destroyers.

Mid. Donald Allen Gyles, R.N.R.
("Broke.") He took charge on the forecastle, and,
although wounded in the eye, organised a gun's crew
from the survivors of the crews which had suffered
heavy casualties and kept the guns on the forecastle
going. He repelled the German sailors who swarmed on
board from the destroyer which was rammed, and
remained at his post until after the action was
finished.

________

The following awards have also been
approved:

To receive the Conspicuous
Gallantry Medal. A.B. William George
Rawles, O.N., 20176V (Po.). Although he had four bad
wounds in his legs, in addition to other injuries, he
continued to steer H.M.S. "Broke" in action until the
enemy destroyer had been rammed.

The undermentioned Petty Officer has
been awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Service
Medal for service in the action between H.M.
Ships "Swift" and "Broke" and German
Destroyers, on the night of the 20th to 21st Apr. 1917:

Yeo. Sigs. William Smith, O.N.
213714 (Po.). (The award of the Distinguished Service
Medal was announced in the London Gazette dated 12th
January, 1916.)